Wall Plugin for SketchUp

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9n - 11.25.2018
- Added the following options to the stair module: side spacers, skirt boards, finished floor offsets.





When selecting the points to define the stairs you will want to pick sub-floor to sub-floor now that the finished floor offsets are enabled.  Stairs created in version 0.9.9m are not backward compatible with this latest version as I have made too many updates and improvements to the code.

Keep sending in your ideas on how to make this module better.

I will be moving back to work on the gable wall module and giving this one a rest for a while unless there is an unresolved bug or critical fix that needs attention.  I have a separate "todo" list just for this module.

[Medeek]

On a related note I am wondering what the best text book on stair construction is that is out there.  I am not looking for traditional designs or methods per say but would like to have a practical text that covers modern methods and materials.  I would like the stair module to handle 80-90% of most stair designs that are utilized in your typical mid-range homes. 

The elaborate mansions with their spiraling and flaring staircases are probably beyond the scope of the stair module at this time.  If that type of staircase is required I would strongly suggest more specialized stair plugins such as Garry Kernan's Stair Maker. 

[Don_P]

There is a good free stair codes download here;
https://www.stairways.org/

One more for the back burner, when notching the stringers everyone lays the notches out to a point on the upper outside corner, you really don't have to. If you move that line up about an inch it leaves more unnotched meat on the underside of the stringer. You can also sister a 2x to one or both sides of the stringers underneath, just like on your outer faces to beef them more.

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9o - 11.26.2018
- Completed the Stairs tab within the global settings.
- Added the ability to draw a "Clearance Envelope" with an additional global parameter for specifying the minimum headroom.
- Added a Building Code layer and an Engineering layer to the Layers tab of the global settings.





The clearance envelope (if enabled) is placed on the "code" layer.  For future reference all code related items and warnings will be placed on this layer.  The engineering layer will be used for engineering callouts, warnings and other related items.

The envelope is placed exactly and if the nosing is rounded then the envelope is translated a specific amount so that the tread line is tangent to the nosing.  If anyone is interested the horizontal translation is given by this expression:

x_trans = r/tan(theta) - r/sin(theta) + r

where:

r = radius of the bullnose or 1/2 tread thickness.
theta = angle of stringer from the horizontal

Hopefully the clearance envelope is useful to designers who want to check that their framed openings for their staircases are code compliant.

[Medeek]

Now that I'm about halfway down this rabbit hole (stair module), I should probably go a bit further.  Most stairs need a hand rail:



Additional advanced option:  Handrails (Yes or No)

Then the handrail options shall be:

1.) Profile: Circle, Square, Custom1, Custom2 etc...  (or any user defined profiles from sub-folder)
2.) Position:  Left, Right, Both
3.) Height:  36" (default), vertical distance from tread line to top of handrail.
4.) Size:  1.5" (default), only applicable to circle and square profiles.
5.) Clearance: 1.5" (default), distance from inside edge of handrail to wall (gypsum).
6.) End Treatment:  Cut/Vertical/Return (return shown above)
7.) Handrail Material:  Default materials and custom materials from library

I think these seven parameters are enough to define a basic handrail(s) for a straight run of stairs as shown.  The option to have a vertical end treatment will allow the user to insert newel posts, however I am not really giving the option to customize where exactly the handrail will terminate so there may be some manual editing required.

With regards to manual edits, similar to the wall assemblies, the user can include custom groups or components within the stair assembly group and have them retained simply by including the text "custom" or "CUSTOM" somewhere in the instance name.  If the stair assembly is then edited or regenerated by the plugin these custom entities will not be blown away but will maintain their position and properties within the main group.  So theoretically one could insert any number of items such as balusters, newel posts, additional molding etc...

[Medeek]

There have been a lot of upgrades the last few months and as many of you know when you upgrade you lose your custom materials and also your presets.

The problem with the way it is currently setup is that this data is being stored in sub-folders within the plugin folder.  When you uninstall the plugin the Extension Manager will blow away the entire plugin folder and also all of the custom data within your sub-folders.

Currently to maintain your custom library copy the sub-folder "library_mats" in its entirety to some other location on your computer.  Once you've installed the updated version then copy your library_mats folder back into the plugin folder overwriting the default library_mats sub-folder installed by the Extension Manager.  This will restore all of your saved custom materials and associated JPEG and PNG images.

This same method can also be employed for your wall presets, by copying the "preset" sub-folder and restoring it after an upgrade.

Please feel free to contact me directly via email or phone if you have further questions on this matter.

[Medeek]

I will include some typical handrail profiles:



The part numbers shown are from LJ Smith and should coincide very closely with their exact geometry from their shop drawings:

https://www.ljsmith.com/product-drawings

I have contacted them in hopes that they can provide me exact DXF or even SketchUp files so that I can include their full handrail profile line within the library.

Adding your own custom profiles is as simple as dropping your SketchUp files into the library/handrail sub-folder.

If you have some accurate profiles that you would like added to the plugin please contact me, I reserve the right to edit any profile for accuracy and/or not include it.

[Medeek]

Some of these profiles are rather complicated and will add a bit of weight to the model but surprisingly the performance was much better than expected:



A good example is the LJ6010 profile shown above, with something like 80 line segments making up the profile. 

On a related note I am just about to wrap up the handrail piece of the stair module, however I am looking at the end treatment where the user selects the "RETURN" option. 

For a circle profile I typically see a radiused return rather than just a 90 degree return however I am curious as to what the preference is or if there is a typical solution here.

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9p - 12.01.2018
- Added handrails to the stair module.



I rewrote a good chunk of the stair module this evening so this release probably resolves some additional issues with metric templates, as such I consider this version a critical update.

[Medeek]

I've been looking at a lot of stairs and handrails the last couple of days and I've noticed that at that the top of a run of stairs with open treads the handrail often terminates in a single riser or two riser gooseneck.  Usually the two riser gooseneck is used where the handrail takes a ninety degree turn at a landing and then proceeds up another flight of stairs.

The single riser gooseneck is a bit confusing to me though.  I guess it is used so that the handrail can transition to the landing rail height before it encounters the landing newel post.

Using a follow me algorithm is really not to difficult to generate the gooseneck:



What is the typical radius of the gooseneck (up-ramp)?

I've found some interesting and helpful information here:

https://www.directstairparts.com/pages/getting-started-page-5

I was wondering what to do about a handrail on a partially open stairs, now I know:



P.S.  After some further reading it appears that a 4" difference in height is fairly typical between the landing/balcony rail height (38") and the stair handrail height (34").  This explains the need for the gooseneck fitting.  I learn something new everyday with this plugin.

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9q - 12.03.2018
- Enabled "Over-the-Post" termination (single rise gooseneck and starting ease) for all handrail profiles.



The utilization of this termination option won't really become important until I setup open sided stairs with the accompanying newel posts and balusters.

Also note that the delta Z for the starting ease and also the gooseneck is plus 4" for now, at some point I will probably want to allow the user to customize this height differential(s), but in the US market 4" seems pretty much standard.

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/17a5e7b1-37fe-495e-b25c-e7c5006fa9a4/Handrail-Test-3

[Medeek]

Running the stair module through a few tests this evening, found one minor bug and was fairly pleased with the stair envelope for checking headroom height:



I've also added one additional termination (OTP with a 2 riser gooseneck) which is typically used where you go from one flight of stairs to the next as show below:



As long as the riser heights match (like they should) for each run of stairs then the 2 riser goosenecks matches up perfectly with the starting ease of the next run of stairs.  Of course the specified hand rail height for each run must match as well.

Note that the white color (handrail fittings) components are not being automatically generated by the plugin those were manually inserted, however the brown sections of handrail are automatically generated and they matched up perfectly as expected (Z height).  I left the fittings white so you can see what elements were required to be brought into the model.

These fittings will be included with the plugin in the library/handrail_fittings subfolder.  If I get ambitious I may have to actually model up some volutes for the bottom of the handrail but for now the list of supplied fittings (for the LJ6010 profile) is:

- S7011 (right handed)
- S7019
- S7020
- S7021 (right handed)

You'll also notice that in the top image I've created a landing with a 2x4 pony wall supporting it (sorry barely visible).  When you go to create walls like this it would be nice to have the plugin ignore any surrounding walls and basically treat these walls as completely isolated from the rest of the structure.

With that in mind I reworked the auto-corner configuration algorithm ever so slightly, so that it is now possible to place any number of wall panels within an over arching group.  What this does is effectively isolate these walls from any other groups within the model.

I will need to make some updates to the estimating module so that it is smart enough to look for groups in the root of the document with embedded walls.  I will also need to make a video demonstrating this technique, and when and where it would be useful.

Granted, I have not extensively tested out this new feature so I would say proceed with caution but my preliminary testing shows that it is quite effective and convenient when modeling sub-assemblies within a larger context.

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9r - 12.05.2018
- Added a "2 riser gooseneck" Over-the-Post termination option for all handrail profiles.
- Adjusted the auto-corner configuration algorithm so that wall panels can be placed within larger groups within the root of the model (wall panel isolation).
- Fixed a bug in the Over-the-Post section of the handrail/stair module.

[Medeek]

I'm adding two extra parameters which will allow an extension of the bottom of the stringer as shown in the detail below:



This detail was taken from literature for LVL stringers. Notice the use of framing anchors to help bear some of the vertical load.

I prefer to extend the landing back to catch the full bearing of the stringer but I guess there are some situations where additional headroom is needed or other configurations where this method of stringer support is optimal.

[Medeek]

First look at the stringer extend option with its associated notch:



You can also enable the thrust block with the extension/notch but I don't really see the point to doing that, it only further weakens the stringer at its point of bearing.

I'm thinking I should probably extend the side spacer down all the way until it meets the landing/notch, unless there is a good reason not to.

Also I've been reviewing all of the html menus and there are quite a few places where I am displaying
or requiring input in inches and it would be nice to also display the same dimension in ft-in. (fractional), I am looking at this now.

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9s - 12.06.2018
- Added two parameters in the stair module to allow for extended stair stringers.
- Draw and Edit Wall menus now display wall height in feet and inches (fractional) when using an imperial units template.
- Added the action: "Regen Wall Assembly" in the context menu for all wall assemblies.

I've also gone ahead and enabled the feet-inches dimensions for other applicable dimensions within the global settings tabs (Walls, Door, Windows, Stairs).

[Medeek]

Here is a first look at the updated draw wall tool with a temporary dimension enabled:



I think it came out alright, however I can change up a number of parameters to improve the aesthetics if there is call for it.  The parameters for the temp. dimension currently are:

Extension Line:  18"
Dim Line:  12"
Ext. Line Offset: 1.5"
Dim Color:  0000FF
Text Color:  0000FF
Text Size:  14pt
Text Font:  Arial
Arrow Width:  3"
Arrow Length:  7"
Line Weight/Width: 1

[Medeek]

What I really need to do is enable some additional options in the global settings for construction dimensions:

Color: RGB value

Endpoints: Closed Arrow / Tick

Text Size: 14 Pts default

Also the ability to enable or disable them.

The color will also apply to other temporary dimensions and graphics utilized in the wall move and opening move tools, as well as the upcoming stretch wall tool.

I think it is imperative that I allow the user to set the color so that they can find an appropriate color to work well in their particular style.  It would be very bad if the dimension color and the background color were too close and the user could not distinguish between them.

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9t - 12.09.2018
- Enabled temporary (construction) dimensions for wall panels in the Draw Wall tool.
- Added a section in the General tab of the global settings for configuring construction dimensions.

I've also added the option for closed arrows, open arrows and ticks:





Note the larger text size set to 18PT versus 14PT in the previous to screenshots:



The endpoint, color and text size of the dimensions can be configured in the General tab of the global settings:



Hopefully this is flexible enough for most users.  Alternatively you can also turn off the construction dimensions if you would rather not have them displayed.

[Medeek]

Figured I might as well add construction dimensions to the beam and stair modules:

[Medeek]

Tutorial 7 - Stairs  (23:19 min.)

https://youtu.be/kIba1fZqvDY

Unfortunately there is just too much information to convey regarding this new module and the video doesn't really dive deep enough into all of the details and options, but hopefully this will be enough of a primer for getting started with stairs.

I also discuss the new wall isolation concept in some detail in this video.

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9u - 12.22.2018
- Enabled temporary (construction) dimensions for beams in the Draw Beam tool.
- Enabled temporary (construction) dimensions for stairs in the Draw Stair tool.
- Added 2D construction lines for exterior wainscoting.
- When the cladding or wainscoting air gap is greater than zero the 2D construction lines are drawn in order to represent the interior surface.

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9v - 12.29.2018
- Added roof sheathing to the Medeek Estimator (common and monopitch truss assemblies).

In order for this cross plugin communication/analysis to work correctly you must also upgrade the Truss plugin to the latest version (2.2.7b - 12.29.2018).  The latest truss plugin version has statistics enabled for common and monopitch truss roofs.

Note that the Medeek Estimator is largely experimental (but functional) at this point.  I am essentially setting up the templates and overall organization. Once I am satisfied with the general layout and system I will begin to fully flesh it out with all of the various construction elements (eg. studs, plates, windows, doors, etc...)

I may also separate the Medeek Estimator module into its own stand along plugin since technically it can work with either the Wall or Truss plugin or both.  I will also be augmenting the Foundation plugin with statistics so that its output can also be analyzed in the estimator.

If I do pull it out then it will not really be a stand along plugin as much as an add on that works specifically with the mdkBIM suite since it is not setup to analyze generic models like Quantifier or Estimator (John Brock). 

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9w - 01.04.2019
- Added Drip Edge and Hip & Ridge to the Medeek Estimator (common and monopitch truss assemblies).
- Added Concrete, Rebar and Anchor Bolts to the Medeek Estimator (slab-on-grade foundation assemblies).
- Made some improvements to the Medeek Estimator framework and user interface.

This recent release is a further test of the cross plugin integration.  Assemblies from the Truss and Foundation plugins are now able to be analyzed with the Medeek Estimator.

I still have a long ways to go in order to flesh out all of the various building elements and configurations but at least I have a clear path now on how to make it happen.

With regards to the CSV output, I am still a bit unsure how to best format it so that it is fully optimized for further estimating and analysis.  Any additional feedback on how best to preset the data is greatly appreciated.

This release is compatible with the following releases:

Medeek Truss:  Version 2.2.7d
Medeek Foundation:  Version 1.1.9

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.9x - 01.07.2019
- License expiration date now appears in the License tab of the Global Settings when plugin is registered.
- Added (regular) wall studs to the Medeek Estimator.



Note that this addition does not yet include cripple studs, kings studs, trimmer studs and corner studs (when they differ in dimension from the common studs).

The estimating module is a bit more complicated than I originally thought so I had to rewrite a good portion of it to make it more scalable.  The HTML preview screen also needed some additional attention in that regard.  I think I've finally got it setup now where I can much more easily flesh out the rest of the building elements for all three plugins.

The CSV is generated in parallel with the HTML preview however I can also add a lot more detail into this file if requested.  There are no screen real estate limitations with spreadsheets, I can populate as many rows and columns as required.